Chrono Trigger: Temporal Time
by Kenrai
Summary: Crono has always lived in relative peace with his mother and best friend Lucca but when a prophesied event shakes his world, he is forced to widen his horizons and awaken the trigger that lies inside of him. Novelisation of the game with my own elements to it.
1. Prophecies and a Fated Meeting

**Chrono Trigger: Temporal Time**

_**The Millennial Fair Arc**_

**Chapter 1: Prophecies and a Fated Meeting**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Chrono Trigger or any other of Square Enix's stuff.**

_**Featured Music**__**: "A Ruined World" – Chrono Trigger OST. **__Scene __**1**__ (First Half)._

"_**Chrono Trigger (Orchestra)" – Chrono Trigger OST. **__Scene __**1**__. (Second Half)_

"_**Peaceful Days" –**__**Chrono Trigger OST. **__Scene __**2**__ (First Half)._

"_**Guardia Millennial Fair" –**__**Chrono Trigger OST. **__Scene __**2 **__(Second Half) and __**3 **__(First Half)._

"_**Gato's Song" –**__**Chrono Trigger OST. **__Scene __**3**__ (Second Half)._

"_**Victory United!**__" – __**Fire Emblem 9 and the Path of Radiance OST. **__Scene __**4**__ (Second Half)._

_A/N: Hi people, some of you may remember me from the Pokémon Red, Green and Blue fan fiction I recently finished. This is obviously a different sort of area I'm in but I hope it'll be enjoyed; I have high hopes for this._

_For all who are interested, this is a novelisation of the video game Chrono Trigger (which you can find on PSX, SNES and DS) with my own spin on it. Those who haven't played Chrono Trigger and are interested in reading this I strongly recommend you to play the game; it's not only worth the time but it's one of my personal favourites._

_Also a note for those later; some characters will be different or 'OOC' (out of character). Crono as an example will have his own personality as well as Marle etc so here's hoping it blends well._

_Anyway without further ado I'll begin; hope you enjoy!_

_**Scene 1**_

"_What…"_

_I opened my eyes to the darkness around me._

_Nothing._

_Absolutely nothing._

"_Queen Zeal! Princess Schala!" I yelled out but my voice only echoed in the darkness and nothing more; no replies, vocal or even symbolic._

_Had _everything_ been erased by that monster?_

_My lower lip began to tremble and I dropped to my knees._

_Was I dead? Was this heaven? Was it _hell?

_Or was this purgatory?_

_My eyes began to sting as tears slowly formed._

_Everything had been done in vain; the Kingdom of Zeal had fallen, the Queen had fallen to her indomitable lust for power, the poor Princess had died to protect not only him but everyone around her…_

_And the new fellows, led by the boy with the spiked hair._

"_I'm sorry…" I muttered pathetically as I dropped to my hands, tears falling onto the groundless darkness below me, sniffling like a child. "So sorry…"_

_Nothing could stop that monster; absolutely nothing._

_The world would refuse to change._

* * *

"_Crono!_"

The boy groaned as he swung his body around under the quilt covers. As if to protest against him further, light spilled in behind him making him cringe and force his head further under the covers.

"Crono, wake up you lazybones!" the voice protested again – his mother – this time a little clearer. The named boy himself rolled his lazy eyes under the quilt.

Every morning it was the same old routine.

"Did you forget? The Millennial Fair is today!" she spoke again and like a switch turned on, Crono's deep green eyes burst open before his spiked crimson head shot out from under the covers, swinging his body around as he did so.

"I forgot!" he exclaimed in his now big and excitable grin. His mother, a tall woman with a similar grin on her face, stood above him, her hands placed on both her hips grinned similarly down at him. Her long and light blonde hair had a short fringe to it; coming down in short spiky strands down the sides of her forehead. She also wore a long yellow dress with a white apron on the front.

"Don't you always." she said, rather in a statement than a question as she tipped her head in a light grin. "You should go get ready! Lucca will be waiting!" she sing-songed and Crono rolled his eyes in a frustrated frown though it upturned into an amused little grin.

"You _know_ we're just friends Mom," the young man grinned back as he leapt off his bed exuberantly, covered in his lightning brand pyjamas.

"Ha, ha… of course, of course." she winked back playfully. Crono merely grinned in another rolling eyed grin as he walked over to his closet ahead of himself, walking past his mother. He opened up the cupboards and grinned in as he pulled out his usual outfit.

A long blue tunic and black belt with a gold buckle in the front. A green undershirt hung under his blue tunic that went down to his lower legs, covering his body from the cold. He also wore big brown boots suited for trekking and such and finally the young man grinned as he spun his favourite bright yellow scarf around his neck.

Leather arm guards were also worn around his wrists; the ever cheerful young man rung them 'round his wrists and grinned as he did so, clenching his left fist as he finished up in his stance. The woman watching him blew out a sigh as she did; lightly smiling and he turned his grin on her, eliciting a raised eyebrow expression from her face.

"You look just like your father." she admitted and Crono grew a shade of red as he smiled and lowered his head, rubbing the back of it. The woman chuckled in a light grin as she narrowed her eyes down at him. "All right, you better get going! Don't wanna miss the fair after all," she grinned again as she folded her arms down at the boy. He nodded exuberantly and grinned back in response as he did so.

"You _got_ it Mom!" he grinned before rushing on forwards, running past the chuckling woman for the stairs. He swung around and took them two at a time as impatient as ever. "I'll be back before dinner!" his voice exclaimed up and his watching Mother shook her head in a light grin as he did so before cupping a hand to her mouth to amplify her response.

"Be careful out there! Don't make me worry!"

"I won't!" his voice responded back before the door to their small house slammed closed. The woman shook her head again as she sighed and walked forwards to head down the stairs; she knew it was helpless in even asking him but she felt she had to.

Even if to calm herself a little.

She smiled and began to hum another little tune to herself as she walked into the main living quarters, heading for the kitchen.

_**2**_

Crono grinned on as he ran on out his small house and into the vast green fields of Truce. He stopped for a moment as he 'rounded the corner around his house to stare out at the pure green fields ahead of him, the wind blowing his fiery spiky hair as he did.

A weird sense of pride and happiness washed over him as he saw it all; Truce. He had always dreamed of leaving to see what else the world had in store for him but there was always something else that stopped him; a kind of force that kept him grounded and halted him from leaving.

He always wondered what that was.

The young man grinned again as he shook his head of the matter.

He was wasting valuable time!

He broke into a sudden run, the wind blowing across the grass that crunched beneath his feet as he grinned forward, running past the big buildings to his right and left; the simple Residence to his left and his own small house to his right. With his enthusiastic and energetic grin he set his sights forward and up the road to find his final destination.

Leene Square.

* * *

As he finally entered, the bustling sound of the festivities hit his ears and he grinned as they did. Balloons, trumpets and screaming children ran around the area. To add to that, a group of four racers shot past the wide eyed Crono. The poor young man shot his arms into the air in pure shock as he backed a step away to avoid being run over, the four forms a blur to him. They shot past several other fair-goers and in between the two fences left in the middle of the area.

"What was _that_ all about?" the fiery haired young man murmured as he walked forward slowly, this time in a careful manner as opposed to his usual impatient rush.

"The Annual Guardia Millennial Fair Race!"

Crono blinked and snapped his head back forwards to find a smiling old man ahead of him wielding a walking stick in a shaky stance. His initial surprised frown quickly turned into a light grin as he regarded the old man. "Yo!" he greeted in his light grin, rising up his right hand in greeting.

"Good morning young Crono. Did you sleep well?"

He winked as he grinned toothily back at the elder, laying his left arm across and under his right, the right bent at the elbow and shot up as if to show his very excitement. "Like a log!"

The old man chuckled lowly in his tired smile. "I would have expected no less,"

"Man you guys sure are busy though!" Crono exclaimed as he turned his body around to scan the area as best he could, given his height; his hands lowered to grip at his hips as he narrowed his eyes at the various stalls and stands the fair had to offer. "Were _you_ in charge of all this old man?"

"Ho, ho, _goodness_ no." the elderly gentleman chuckled as he shook his head in response. "It was the official council that was granted this task by our fair King Guardia of course!"

"Oh yeah those guys…" Crono murmured out as he watched over the many stalls, raising his arms to rest behind his head in a carefree frown. He shrugged before smiling this time warmly as he turned back his head to the similar faced old man.

"Well go ahead young man! See and enjoy yourself here today; the fair is for you young 'uns to enjoy!" the elderly gentleman smiled as he waved off the younger man with his cane. Crono laughed before giving the old man a wink and a forward point of his right index finger, turning his body around to walk past him. As he did, the fiery haired young party-goer turned and gave the elderly old man a wave off of his right arm.

"I'll getcha somethin' nice!" he grinned over as he winked, eliciting a shaky headed chuckle.

The old man laughed lightly as he watched the boy turn his head to continue on up the stairs ahead of himself.

"Oh that boy." he grinned.

_**3**_

Excited and full of energy, Crono took the steps two at a time grinning forward as he did so.

First he'd play the Horror House then the Test-Your-Strength mini game and the-

_CRASH_

"Urgh!" Crono grunted out as he was pushed back involuntarily, landing on his rear. His eyes shut in a pained cringe before he shot them wide open in a light scowl. "The hell was-"

"All right, who's the jerk?!"

Crono's eyes finally readjusted to the light and as they did, the blurry and blonde form of a scowling young woman stood above him, arms on her hips. Her long blonde hair was fixed into a messy ponytail; strands of her light blonde hair falling over her forehead and her emerald green eyes. For a second – _just _for that split second – Crono sat there in a wide eyed, open mouthed gaze, purely gobsmacked as if he had just found an angel.

"_So… beautif-"_

Before he could even finish his thoughts a hard thwack against his head made him yell out in sudden pain. He cringed and shot his arms up to block the fiery coloured dome that was his head – alas, too late – and thus growled as he snapped his head back up in a scowl of his own.

"Hello?! Anyone home?" the young blonde woman exclaimed down cheekily at him. Crono's previous angelic perception of his interrupter vanished without a trace and he gained a new kind of anger for her as he shot to his feet, his brow furrowing in his newfound emotion.

"Why'd you _do_ that?!" he shot back as he turned his head, half curious and half angry. A silvery glint below him made him blink and snap his head down however to find the shining object that caught his attention. He blinked further before bending down to pick it up and found a chain attached to it.

A pendant?

A strange feeling washed over him as his eyes lay over the shining object, holding the slow rotating pendant by its chain. He narrowed his eyes slowly at the pendant, his interest growing by the second.

Before it was snatched out of his hand.

"Gimme that…" the young blonde woman ahead of him muttered as she swiped the pendant away, her own eyes narrowed. With a further hard frown on her features she ringed the pendant's chain around her neck to return to its presumable original place. "What's your _deal_ anyway? You like crashing into people?"

"That's _my_ line!" Crono shot back hotly as he glared back. "Where I come from, people have respect!"

"That's right! So gimme your apology!"

"What?!" Crono yelled back out in a half eye widened scowl, an eyebrow raised in stupefied annoyance.

"You heard me!" the blonde exclaimed further as she glared back, arms folded. "Apologise for crashing into me! I'm just a helpless little girl!"

"Pff!" the fiery haired boy replied childishly as he folded his own arms and straightened his back, pouting as he turned away his head. "You can _sing_ for it!"

"Fine!" she shot back hotly stamping her foot hard but it sounded more like a light step than anything else. "Then I'm your responsibility from now on!"

Crono made to shout back in his angry mood however what she said stopped him in his tracks. He stopped mid opening his mouth and gaped forward, eyes widened. "Uh… what?"

"That's right! You're my bodyguard from here on out! Until you apologise I won't leave your side!"

He stood gobsmacked again for a few seconds, eyes widened. "You _gotta_ be kidding me,"

The young woman's face shot up as she stood in a folded armed glare, grinning back at him in a smug like expression. "Nope!"

Crono's eyes turned hard and he narrowed them as he glared forward. "I only got today to enjoy this fair! I'm not gonna have it _ruined_ because of some whiny little-"

"Excuse me!" the young blonde interrupted as she sniffed her nose into the air smugly once more though this time in a frown. Crono blinked in a hard frown forward as he listened. "I do believe men stand up and _take_ their responsibilities do they not?"

Crono's scowl grew low and worse as he soon growled forward.

She was _kidding!_ She had to be!

"I don't even know your na-"

"Marle!" the blonde shot in with her smug grin, folding her arms at him as she did so. "But that's _Miss_ Marle to _you,_"

"That's a _stupid_ name,"

"Crono's stupider!"

"Oh screw you lady!" Crono yelled back hotly in a mix of impatience and annoyance, turning on his heel away from her as he waved her off rudely. The blonde stood blinking in an initial frown before a scowl soon adorned her face, giving chase to the young man.

"Hey!" she called but the similar faced Crono walked on, uncaring. "Don't run away from me; come back here and face you responsibilities!"

The fiery haired teenager stuck his banded arms in his pockets as he scowled to the side. "Pff!" he rasped back again in all his lavish wit, green eyes narrowed upwards to the sky as he did so. "Like I got any responsibility that involves _you,_" he muttered as he glared at his right side. She ran to block him and stood ahead of him arms to her sides and for the first time he stopped to look at her.

She wore an Arabian like getup; long white dress trousers, dark brown sandals, a golden belt with a similar coloured chain attached and as if to add to her royalty like smugness, she also wore numerous golden arm bands and even one around her neck.

They almost looked like jewels.

Crono's eyes narrowed however in anger and he shot his arm to his side. "Move!"

"No! And-and if you _don't_ stand up to your responsibilities…" she began as she glared back, he lower lip quivering as she spoke. Crono stopped in a softer scowl as he watched her, eyes narrowed.

She wouldn't.

"Then I'll scream!"

His eyes widened and he lost his scowl.

Uh oh.

Just what he needed; a rep.

"I'll scream so loud everyone will think you're a bad man!"

"Oh _jeez!_" the frustrated boy hissed out as he arched his back and gripped the sides of his head in his show of frustration. "Fine, fine!" he finally conceded as he rolled his eyes and lowered his hands before folding them and glaring forward. "You can come,"

Marle's eyes widened and her initial pouting scowl quickly morphed into a big grin. "Hah!" she exclaimed triumphantly before stepping to his side and grinning on as she placed her arms to rest behind her head. "You should be grateful! I'm so nice and beautiful and-" the grinning Marle went on to another of her expected long winded speeches of her beauty or vanity. Crono rolled his eyes and sticking his hands in his pockets he hunched his back down in a childish pout as he stared on forward.

He sighed long and hard as he shut out her voice, eyes narrowed forward trudging along.

It was gonna be a long day.

* * *

"You should have seen his face, it was like-" Marle began in another chuckle as she stepped next to the fiery haired Crono, turning her face in a childish imitation before she burst out laughing at her own joke again. "But then… I don't blame him." she continued as she smiled smugly as before, raising to rest her arms behind her head as she grinned up at the sky. "I'm so gorgeous _all_ the guys want me." she giggled in a self-important tone. She shrugged of course however as she smirked and shut he eyes smugly. "And the girls too,"

Crono finally stopped and turned in a hard eyed frown as he did so. "Are you kidding me," he shot back in his droopy eyed hard frown, glaring grimly.

The blonde girl giggled again and raised her arms up to rest behind her head as she did so, her tongue hanging out as she winked at him. "What's wrong? You jealous?"

"Pff!" the young man invariably replied with as he rolled his eyes before turning on his heel and storming off as he usually did. "Like I'd be jealous of your _fan base,_" he added on derogatorily, his arms rising up to rest behind his head tilting it as he did so in an attempt to seem aloof.

"You're jealous!" the blonde grinned back as she tilted her head to the side in a narrow eyed grin. She sighed dreamily as she shut her eyes and followed Crono behind him. "I don't blame you; I'm _so_ gorgeous."

Crono rolled his eyes but chose not to respond.

It's probably just for the day he told himself. Or even a few hours or minutes at the maximum!

"_Girls like her _thrive_ on attention. Just don't give her any!"_ he thought to himself as he grew on a light smile. He rid himself on it however as he heard her calling him, pulling him out of his mind temporarily. "Huh?" he asked in a hard eyed frown as he turned his head around to glare impatiently.

Her initial joyful smile quickly morphed into a hard scowl of her own as she saw his look and registered his uninterested expression. "How _dare_ you ignore me!" she screeched over at him, strongly offended. "I'm _beautiful!_ You're just common muck! Next to me you're like-"

"A regular human being,"

Marle blinked and widened her eyes at the interruption to find the brunette smirking back at her, winking as he did so. Her anger flared back up once again and she scowled back at the amused young man in front of her, her arms balled up into fists as she did so. "And what is _that_ supposed to mean?!"

Crono laughed as he set a hand to his hip, laying the other flat at his side as he grinned on forward. "Well _you're_ Miss Sensational! _You_ figure it out!" the smart mouthed brunette shot back as he leaned his head forward initially before turning and walking off before she could respond, leaving her a grin in her direction.

"Oh you little…!" Marle growled initially back before breaking into a rushing run after the boy. Crono snapped his head back around before widening his eyes and yelling in surprise as he turned a sharp left in attempt to evade the surprisingly fast young girl. A strange sort of rush filled the boy and he turned his frown into a grin as he ran from the angry faced Marle. He laughed as he saw her eyes narrow into his, her speed surprising.

But he was the fastest form in Truce!

She'd have to be a bolt of _lightning_ to beat him!

He grinned on in his usual bout of confidence as he snapped back 'round his head in his run. He leapt down a small number of steps and rounded another corner, running in between two stalls. Not even looking, he managed to accidentally push a purple bag to the floor behind him strewing food contents from inside. An old man that watched from the end of the stall that Crono ran by widened his eyes and called angrily after him but Crono didn't listen; he couldn't.

He was far too interested in the little game he had concocted with his new 'friend' Marle.

He skid around one more corner to his left once more and laughed as he caught sight of the angry Marle nearly tripping over the strewn foodstuff behind him.

"I'll wring your throat when I find you, you little pussy!" she yelled after him angrily but he grinned on regardless as he rose his right hand to the side of his mouth to amplify his response.

"You'll have to catch me f-"

The fiery haired young man gasped in sudden widened eyes as his form stopped; his body crashing into a hard and metal like substance. His widened eyes darted to his front and he ripped his face and body off of his attacker to find a huge chubby form of metal looming over him, casting its shadow. His previous tiff with Marle temporarily forgotten, he took a few wary steps back and stared in a gobsmacked frown.

He almost didn't feel the grinning Marle bash into him behind him watching him with a satisfied expression on her face as she attempted to manhandle his neck. "Hah! See I-" she began confidently however her blonde head snapped up to the huge shadow looming over them and like her new companion, she stared in a wide eyed frown. "Woah…" she managed out only and Crono gulped as he nodded in silent agreement.

_**4**_

The large cylindrical human shaped robot rose up its left arm and turned its red coloured head over to speak through the microphone. As it did, holes through the robot's mouth opened up and blasted dance like music through the mouthpiece. "They call me Gato; I have metal joints, beat me up, and earn fifteen silver points," the large robot spoke sang out, its voice although robotic mixing well with the music that exited from its glowing mouth piece.

As soon as the creation stopped talking, one of Crono's eyes narrowed as he raised an eyebrow in wonder. "Uhh… what?"

He had no time to ponder the robot's request however as its microphone whirred back into its body and it turned to shoot a robotic fist forward, directly at the shock faced Marle. Crono's own eyes widened and the youth grunted as he leapt to his right to evade the robotic fist, Marle clutching his neck. He skidded across the ground in a narrow eyed grunt before plucking the wide eyed Marle's arms off his neck frustratingly.

"Get outta here!" he exclaimed back behind him before snapping his head forward and rolling to the side to evade the second rocket fist that came flying towards him. Marle could only stand in a transfixed, eye widened cringe, shaking as she watched the fiery haired youth scowl at the now no handed robot. He recovered from his side roll expertly, showing off his previous exercise before his green eyes widened in recognition.

An open blue to tent to his right!

At the top right end of the battle like arena made for this seeming battle robot was an open blue tent and Crono grinned as he saw weapons up on display.

Yes!

The flame haired youth turned and burst into a desperate run, eyes narrowed as he did so. He skidded down in an attempt to avoid any possible attacks coming his way and sure enough, a double laser – presumably from Gato's shining eyes – shot into the tent's walls ahead of him, safely missing him. As Gato recovered from its attack, Crono's arms quickly plucked the first weapon off the stands in the tent above him.

A sheathed Katana.

Turning on his heel again, Crono's eyes narrowed as he yanked the long sword out of its sheath and with the sheath in his left hand, he burst forward in another run. The recovered Gato by now had recovered both its rocketed fists and turned its head and body around to meet Crono's challenge with a similarly narrow eyed glare.

A kind of rushing adrenaline filled Crono's lungs, his blood, his veins, his organs his very _body_ itself as he glared forward. His heart hammered as his feet pounded the ground, his speed undeniable. The Katana wielding youth leapt to his right in another side roll to avoid the narrow eyed Gato's right fisted rocket punch. The robot's fist crashed into the wall far behind Crono and the similarly slit eyed swordsman shot his body back up into a bursting run as he glared on. The robot, seemingly desperate, shot its second fist once more, this time directly for the boy.

Crono took his next action with a quick thinking scowl and time slowed down as he executed his plan.

He leapt up into the air, brandishing his new Katana sword with his right hand up. His jump was successfully high enough and he landed on the flying fist below his feet. He continued sprinting forward before giving yet _another_ leap forward. Gato snapped its head up to catch the high flying Crono and its eyes lighted up as it shot another double eyed beam up at him. Crono shut one of his eyes in an effort filled grunt before quickly positioning his sword and sheath horizontally as if to form a kind of horizontal shield.

Surprisingly enough, the beams hit the sword's blade harmlessly and allowed the wide eyed Crono to continue dropping down on the wide eyed Gato. Now defenceless and open, Gato made attempt to turn and run but the narrow eyed and reinvigorated Crono shot down his sword with both arms gripping the hilt of his long sword as well as his left on the sheath.

"_Eat it!_" the adrenaline filled young man yelled out as he plunged his new sword into the wide eyed robot's face. The sound of steel against metal scrape one another as the Katana pierced through its eyes and face, Crono's eyes narrowed down as he landed, his feet landing on the robot's chest to balance himself.

Time stopped temporarily for the paralysed Marle and the scowling Crono and they watched the similar faced Gato with a mixture of finality and dread in their hearts.

Finally however, Gato's eyes greyed out as it slowly lowered its head, standing up straight. It made all kinds of powering down sounds and Crono blinked down in a surprised gasp before he slowly gained a confident grin on his face.

* * *

"All _right!_" the flame haired swordsman yelled out in triumph as he yanked back out his sword and kicked off of the robot, landing as he clenched his sheath holding left hand into a victory fist. Marle watched in a wary smile as the sight gladdened her heavy heart. Crono grinned back as he issued her confident thumbs up after sheathing the Katana in its sheath.

"Told ya I'm fast." the swordsman claimed in his confident expression. The blonde stared on at him with her own wary smile before she lost it as she turned her head around in a wide eyed blink. He blinked back similarly and raised his eyebrow. "What's wr-?"

"Crono!"

The named boy cringed and lowered his head temporarily as the complaining voice screeched annoyingly after him. He leaned his head to the left to find a glaring and hard faced Lucca staring back at him.

What was she doing he-

He darted his eyes between the defeated robot and the presence of his best friend and he cringed again.

Uh oh, he thought.

She was a young woman around his age – perhaps a little older – that wore a strange outfit indeed. Her helmet headed hair of purple colour was bunched beneath a big helmet that covered her said hair almost entirely, green and golden around the helmet's main front and back as well its frame respectively. On its side and Lucca's right ear was a big blue button that led into a silver coloured antenna that was used for something or other; Crono wasn't entirely sure.

He never was with Lucca.

Like him however, she also wore a battle like tunic however hers was orange in colour with a blue undershirt and a brown belt to hold it up. She also wore black under leggings that went as far as her high thighs and held a small brown pouch across her belt on her left side, presumably for items and such.

A big blue satchel hung across her right side and like him she wore a scarf across her neck; an old sign of friendship between the two. Unlike him however she also wore big lensed glasses that fit around her face snugly, her big blue eyes behind them.

"Hi, Lucca…" Crono chuckled quietly in a nervous sort of smile as he used his left arm to rub the back of his red haired head, a show of guilt across his expression. The purple haired young woman glared at him before storming on over past the shutdown robot and standing up to the slouched swordsman, folded arms and all in her narrow eyed glower.

"Don't 'hi Lucca' me; you just wrecked my new training robot! Look!" she even exclaimed out as she gestured behind her. The said robot itself was as Lucca had stated it was; a wreck. Electricity sparked out of its eyes now and then as it slouched its head over to show its current state. Crono grinned and shrugged it off after setting his new Katana to his hip and locking it in place.

"Oh come _on_ Luc; it's not as if this wasn't _bound_ to happen anyways,"

"That's not the point!" the technological enthusiast yelled back suddenly and in a show of annoyance. The fiery haired swordsman rolled his eyes as he waved her off. "This was _my_ robot and I specifically instructed you not to-"

Even as she yelled at him, the ground near the two gave a start and made the two turn their heads in similar blinks. A frowning Marle stood, her arms joined forwards in front of herself in an awkward frown, a light blush adorned on her cheeks as she fidgeted with her feet. Lucca and Crono blinked over but Crono more so. He raised a curious eyebrow over at her and wondered.

Was weird to see _her_ all awkward.

And what was with that _blush?_

He almost began to think she was cute again before the memory of her smug face was forced into his mind. He rolled his eyes again and shook his head as Lucca quickly turned her angry frown into a big smile, walking over.

"Tonda Gossa!" she exclaimed out in a big smile as she outstretched her right hand to be shook. "I'm Lucca; you must be a new friend of Crono's! Sorry about that!" she finished in a light chuckle as she did so. The blonde frowned back but raised her own hand to shake Lucca's.

"M-Marle,"

"That's a nice name!" the helmeted young woman smiled back and Marle smiled back, a light blush on her cheeks.

"Only nice thing about her!" Crono called over as he frowned in his childish pout, arms joined behind his head in his usual care free expression. "Spoilt little brat is what she is!"

"Don't mind him; he's very rude. I've known him for years," Lucca waved him off as she smiled at the blinking Marle. The blonde gave a giggle in response however as she shot an arm up to her mouth.

"He _is,_ isn't he," the blonde replied back, this time a little more confidently. Crono's eyes widened before he narrowed them once again and scowled forward as he realised their intention.

"Hey, don't start teaming up on _me!_" the swordsman exclaimed over as he glared, pointing directly at them as if accusing them of a crime. "I'm a _victim_ here!"

"Oh hush up." Lucca frowned in annoyance as she waved him off once more, eliciting a blinking frown from the boy. "In fact you're lucky I don't _kill_ you for what you did to Gato!"

"_Gato?!_ He tried to _kill_ us! What did you expect me to do?!" Crono yelled back as he shrugged angrily back. Lucca rolled her eyes and turned her head back to converse further with Marle, leaving the swordsman with a sighing frown. He rose back up his arms to rest behind his head as he watched them.

Two girls joining forces.

This couldn't be good for him.

* * *

_A/N: All righty and that's the pilot chapter done. If you could just gimme a review, maybe lemme know what you think that'd be awesome. = )_

_Bearing in mind this is beneath my usual quantity mark and it _is_ only the beginning; things will definitely pick up, I promise._

_Hope you enjoyed!_


	2. From the Beginning to the End of Time

**Chapter 2: From the Beginning to the End of Time**

_**The Millennial Fair Arc**_

**Disclaimer: I don't own Chrono Trigger or any other of Square Enix's stuff.**

_**Featured Music**__**: "Chrono Trigger"; Crono's Theme – Chrono Trigger OST Main Theme. **__Scene __**2**__ (Second Half)._

_**Scene 1**_

"Yeah, I know; he's _so_ lazy I dunno how you ever got him to help out with things!"

Lucca giggled. "Well he's not _so_ bad; he does have his days. But on some days I just feel like _hitting_ that idiot cranium of his!"

As his best friend Lucca and his new seeming companion Marle giggled at his expense, Crono rolled his eyes in a bored frown as he walked along ahead of the pair. His arms were joined behind him in a care free fashion; his eyes lazily wandered the comings and goings of the Millennial Fair and as they did he began to grow a little envious of the others around him.

At least _they_ could enjoy the festival.

Here _he_ was playing _bodyguard_ to these two chicks.

"Hey Crono, Crono!" Marle's impudent and whiny voice called over behind him.

"_Urgh…"_ he thought as he rolled his eyes in silent frustration at the sound of her voice. "What?" he called back in a tired, irritable tone of voice.

"Why don't you prove you're a _man?_" the blonde shot over. Her form was invisible to his current position but he imagined her with her hands on her hips, leaning and tipping to the side while she grinned at him, strands of her hair falling in front of her gorgeous eyes-

The recent swordsman stopped his train of thought mid-sentence and even temporarily stopped walking as he did so, blinking.

She wasn't _gorgeous_.

Where the hell did he get _that_ notion from?

Whatever, he thought.

"Yeah, come on Crono!" Lucca's voice chimed in agreement. "Show us your pecks!" the helmet headed young woman ended her sentence in a vivacious, chancing giggle. Crono stopped dead in his tracks and, ever so slowly, rotated his head around to stare at the pair behind him through half shut eyes. His expression looked both tired and annoyed. Lucca grinned beneath her helmet as she joined her hands in front of her joyfully while the similar faced Marle stood next to her, raising a blonde eyebrow at him.

"Are you two _serious_ right now?" the young man asked as he drooped his eyes at them in a tired frown.

"_Maybe_…" Marle grinned as she leant to the left, her hands joined behind her and a kind of playful tone to her words. Lucca couldn't help but giggle next to her, her head held low. "Unless you're not _strong_ enough…"

"Pff!" Crono shot back through his mouth as he snapped his body back 'round, eyes glaring at the 'Test Your Strength' mini-game. "I got strength and _then_ some; just you wait!"

Lucca's giggles grew into her hands as she listened, the grinning Marle next to her arms folded as she did so. "Men and the ego." she sighed out in her manipulative grin.

"Yo! Gimme a shot on this thing here!" the eager young Swordsman exclaimed forward as he frowned on, gesturing toward his own position with a raise of his two fingers and left arm. The stocky male manning the stall turned in his tired, leaning position to look over the trio with an unfavourable grunt. His bulky arms were folded and he was chewing on what looked to be a bit of straw. He raised his eyebrows and sighed laboriously before pushing himself off of the metal stand that was the Test-Your-Strength attraction.

He pulled up the large wooden mallet hanging next to the machine before grunting as he handed the large weapon to the grinning and eager Crono. However as he procured the wooden mallet from his arms, his eyes widened as he almost dropped the weapon. Lucca and especially Marle both giggled at their friend's expense, making the flame haired Swordsman growl. He growled under his breath however to avoid the pair on knowing any annoyance that they may have caused them.

He'd show them!

With that confident thought in his head, Crono regained his strong grin as he rose up the hammer diagonally over his back. Marle and Lucca both lost their giggles and sniggers and instead raised their eyebrows in conjunction with his, already, impressive feat. They exchanged light grins however as they watched and waited.

Finally he did it and with a built up yell of effort as he did so, plummeting down the attacking end of the hammer onto the big red button used to measure its tester's strength. The little steel marker that gave the final reading on its tester's strength rose up and the lowered Crono grinned forward as he watched it do so. The group all watched in growing curiosity and even amazement as it rose upwards.

However it stopped short all of a sudden.

Crono's grin instantly dropped off his face, as if knocked down by a hammer of another kind.

As if mocking him further, the steel marker dropped just as quickly as his grin did and as it touched the ground in a resounding ping, the duo of girls behind him burst into derisive laughter. Crono's crestfallen frown soon turned into a miffed narrow of his eyes and the stocky man watching gave a small grin of his own before regaining his hard scowl once again as he reached down to pluck the hammer from Crono's grip.

"Hey!" he exclaimed hotly and indignantly at the hammer being pulled from his grip. "I got cheated!"

"One chance kid and you blew it. Now scram and make room for the real men," the large man grunted down at the boy, hard frown on his face. Crono growled and leaned forward, confrontational and fiery.

"That was cheap! You're a fraud!" the Swordsman declared hotly as he glared up at the man. Almost immediately he grew a belligerent scowl of his own however and leaned on right back down at the boy, dangerously growling in response.

"You best be on your way little man before I _make _ya gone." the large man growled out dangerously, warning and glowering.

Lucca laughed into the tension however, quick and ever willing to placate things. "Crono was only _kidding_ weren't ya bro?" the purple haired genius grinned as she leaned forward and bent down with the Swordsman, ringing her left arm around his neck as she did so. Crono instead turned his green eyes over to pout at his best friend disapprovingly.

"No." he simply shot back however a quick stomp on his foot via Lucca proved to be more than necessary to take the boy off guard. He caught his breath in mid-shout, eyes widened and a little bit teary from the unexpected assault on his foot. Lucca gained another sociable smile as she turned her head up to meet the glowering stall keeper.

"We'll be on our way now!" the genius grinned out before turning and running off with the swearing Crono hot on her heels, also accompanied by the rolling eyed Marle. After coming to a sizeable distance away from the man, Lucca sighed out in relief before turning and back handing the fiery haired young man.

"Agh!" he exclaimed, eyes cringed shut.

"Well done _genius!_ We nearly got creamed 'cause _you're_ such a hot head!" Lucca yelled at him in annoyance. Crono groaned and nursed his hurting head.

"I'm sorry Luc, come on," he pleaded his best friend in a light cringe. Marle rolled her eyes and folded her arms as she stood in place.

"Such a _ruffian_. I knew you were easy to provoke but my _lord_ you're pathetic," the young blonde shot over. Instantly Crono's scowl returned and he snapped his head over to glare at her. He leaned forward shooting in speed, rising up a clenched fist in a show of his anger.

"Take that back!" he demanded angrily. Marle's own disappointed frown quickly turned to a scowl of her own and she leaned forward in response, raising her own fist similarly.

"Make me!" she shot back. Almost as if on cue, the pair continually growled at each other, perhaps in attempt to intimidate the other and sparks emitted from their eyes, meeting in mid-air. Lucca sighed and shrugged, eyes shut dejectedly.

"Oh joy." the young woman muttered under her breath.

It would be a long day.

_**2**_

After many a visit to the Millennial Fair's varied attractions, Lucca _finally_ managed to convince Crono and Marle to accompany her to the main event as time got on. As the excited young genius-in-the-making pulled the rolling eyed Crono and the similarly excited Marle into the festivity.

As expected, a large crowd had gathered and all erupted as the wide eyed, spectacle wearing girl walked at the top of the Millennial Fair. Even Crono lost his miffed frown in place of a growing smirk as he turned to examine the large group of cheerers and whoopers. He grinned as he nudged the young woman next to him.

"Lil' Lucca's movin' up in the world," he teased and though she grinned back involuntarily and with a reddish tone to her cheeks she pushed him away to gain some room, eliciting a small laugh between the two best friends.

"You're damn _right_ she is! And _you're_ gonna help her get a leg up!"

Crono's face fell. "Huh?" he simply mumbled out stupidly.

"Come on! I need you to guinea pig my new invention!" the purple haired girl smiled out brightly at him as she backed a thumb to the large contraption behind her, showcased on stage. Two large pod-like machines stood on opposite sides of one another tethered together by two strange like cables. Crono cringed ever so lightly as he saw them and backed away nervously laughing as he did so.

"That's okay I don't need any-"

"Oh but you _do_ Crono!" Marle grinned behind the Swordsman, pushing him forward as she did so. "Lucca needs some help now; come on!"

The young man groaned and rolled his eyes but cringed visibly when the watching crowd cheered Marle on. Crono growled and snapped his head 'round to glare at the grinning Marle. She waved at him in response.

"I'm gettin' you back for this ya know," he warned and her grin only grew as she leaned her face in to his, whispering back suggestively.

"We'll see." she hissed huskily and he glared back soundlessly as he was pulled away by the smiling Lucca.

"Good afternoon everyone!" the smiling man announced atop the stage, holding a microphone to amplify his voice so as to reach the audience below him sufficiently enough. "And welcome to the Guardia Millennial Fair! Everyone having a good time today?" he called outwards and almost immediately the roaring applause he received was almost staggering. He chuckled and settled them down with a low and descending wave of his hand. "You're here with Taban Ashtear! Your resident blacksmith and famous inventor!" the man introduced himself with a lively smirk and a wink at his audience.

They yelled with him and all smiled on widely at his claims, as if to push him further to explain the reason for the large contraption behind him.

"Now I'm sure you all want to find out what this big machine can do, huh?" the claimed blacksmith grinned as he turned his body back to slap one of the machine's pods. The audience yelled in approval to his question and Taban chuckled. "Well you'll all be surprised to know that today's inventor is not actually myself!" the man exuberantly claimed as he walked back forwards to the stage's edge, grinning as he did so. The people below all gasped, some turning their heads and muttering quietly to themselves. Taban quickly addressed their woes however and smiled as he did. "The inventor of this amazing device… is actually my only daughter and genius in her own right; people please welcome Lucca Ashtear!" the proud father grinned happily as he turned to introduce his said young daughter.

The young inventor walked on up the stairs leading to the stage and, greeted by the applauding fans she turned half way in her march with the similarly blinking Crono grasped by the scruff of his neck in a reverse position to her. Lucca blushed and smiled as she addressed the crowd below her with a warm wave and expression to her face. Finally allowed some form of free will, Crono turned and blinked down at the crowd, rubbing the back of his head in a quizzical expression of his own.

"I'll now pass you over my daughter!" Taban called over the loud din of the roaring audience. The man walked over and, as promised, handed over the microphone to the wide eyed teenage girl, grinning as he leaned in to her ear. "Knock 'em dead honey." he whispered and nodded her off before turning to head off the stage and join the crowd below them. Lucca watched him leave with a singular gulp of nervousness and even lowered her head in a wide eyed unemotional frown, belying the pure nerves grating at her.

However when she received a nudge to her right shoulder she gasped and snapped her head 'round to find a grinning Crono staring back at her. His head was tilted to his lower left and he raised her up a left handed thumbs up gesture before mouthing the following words.

"_You've got this."_

Lucca stared at him for a little while, as if trying to discern the honesty of his words. Sure enough she saw them, as always in his aquamarine eyes she saw the genuine feel of his character and she began to relax, smiling back at him as she did so. She mouthed the words 'thank you' and turned to grin back at the audience watching her.

"Good afternoon everyone! It's Taban's _beautiful_ daughter Lucca Ashtear with you all!" she introduced herself with a raising fist. Crono grinned similarly next to her, arms folding as if in approval of her statement. The listeners all yelled out Lucca's name and promptly moved to chanting out the machine's name behind her. Lucca grinned again; confidence from the smirking Crono next to her rubbing off on her. "I'll be testing out my _new_ invention the 'Super Dimension Warp!'" she exclaimed out as she showcased off the two large pods in her confident grin.

The crowd roared with applause as before and welcomed her christening of the new invention of its name. "Lucca!" one of the members of the audience, a young man dressed in a shirt, tie and slacks grinned upwards, showing a full set of braced teeth complete with the large glasses. "Talk to me, talk to me, talk to me baby!" the young man grinned widely as he wolf whistled and called for the young woman on stage.

Initially she stood with a wondering blink on her face however as she felt the grinning Crono next to her lean on her shoulder with his left elbow, arm draped over her. She couldn't help but grin back as she saw his cheeky wink, finally adding up the young man's silent signal. Finally she moved forward to moving ahead the experiment.

"This bad boy can transport matter from one destination to another!" Lucca grinned over at the audience as she gestured to the machine behind her. When they slowly fell silent and frowned at her, seemingly in wonder, she frowned back and quickly elaborated. "Basically it's a teleporter,"

The crowd erupted into another cheer, eliciting a rolling eyed grin from the watching Lucca. She regained a smile on her face as she turned to watch the grinning Crono.

"My handsome assistant Crono will help in demonstrating the properties of my new machine!" Lucca began as she gestured forth to the young man next to her. He bowed almost mockingly to the point of grinning as he did so. The crowd cheered anyway, taking his expression for a charming show of simple confidence.

"Happy to be here Luc!" Crono grinned as he leaned into the microphone that Lucca provided for him on his left. Lucca similarly grinned as she chuckled, her previous nervousness flowing out of her, replaced by the boy's showy confidence.

He seemed to have that effect on her.

Seemed to have that effect on a lot of people actually.

"Okie dokie! Please stand in the pod to your right Crono and make sure to take off any belongings when you do!" the girl smiled as she turned her helmeted head to his. When he shot her a suggestive grin she blushed and pouted, eyes moving away from his. "Except your clothes you goof,"

He laughed. "You got it boss!"

With that the young Swordsman moved over to the pod he was instructed to go to and smiled as he stood inside with a hand on his hip. He rose up one of his thumbs up gestures to show his readiness at her next step. She smiled back and nodded before turning back to her intent audience below, addressing them with her smile as before.

"Now watch in sheer amazement as my assistant Crono is transported from one pod to another at the speed of light!" Lucca excitedly exclaimed as she smiled widely, eliciting a similarly excited yell from the group. She backed away towards the pulling switch and grinned as she raised her up and over to the pod on her right. She exchanged a grin with the watching Crono behind the glass as the door shut and nodded a final time. "Throw the switch!" she called out passionately, bringing out a similar response from the watching crowd. As she did, the electricity around the machine fizzled and the pods both hummed away dimly.

A blue light shined in on the curious faced boy in his pod prison before suddenly and finally the pod gave a bright flash of light. The entranced audience let out similar gasps of surprise and shock which then gave vent to some murmurs, some even _worried_ for the young man's well-being. A second or two passed before finally the pod on Lucca's left began to tremble to life and the similar blue light also shined in on the machine's insides.

"There he is; I see him!" one of the excited members of the crowd cried out.

"Where, where?!"

Sure enough, as if to answer their hot queries, the pod opened up and white smoke billowed out ominously. The group all watched on, tensing up and even Lucca raised an eyebrow or two as she also surveyed the scene. Sure enough, a grinning Crono walked out of the billowing smoke in one of his showy expressions; one hand on his hip and the other raised under his nose, his index finger only to give off a show of his vast confidence. The audience watched him all in hushed, wide eyed stares before Crono finally spoke.

"Easy!"

Just like that the crowd whooped for their new symbol, eliciting a grinning chuckle from the listening Crono. The audience chanted out the names of the pair on stage and Lucca sighed in a satisfied smile, watching the pods with a relieved feeling washing over her body.

"But what about _girls?_" a little girl in the crowd exclaimed out as she frowned up curiously and cutely. Lucca exchanged a blinking look with Crono before shrugging and smiling.

"That's a very interesting question as both male and female organisms have slightly different body textures! Won't someone please kindly volunteer for the good audience-"

Almost instantly the grinning Marle leapt up to the stage, conveniently forgetting that there was even _steps_ to the stage. Lucca was taken aback by surprise and even flinched in a poker face like expression before shaking it off and chuckling.

"I guess we have one!" the purple haired inventor smiled forward as she gestured to the young blonde next to her. "Everyone please welcome Marle to the stage!" she introduced brightly. As Marle smirked closed mouthed she leaned down into the microphone provided and with her hands joined behind her she greeted the whooping audience.

"Hi." she smirked simply.

As if a trigger word the crowd yelled almost immediately though the more noticeably enamoured members of the audience screamed louder for the young blonde. Marle noticed it and smirked, even turning to show off her knowing look at the watching Crono. He narrowed his aquamarine eyes at her in a noticeable show of disapproval but she simply stuck her tongue out at him immaturely before turning and heading for the same pod Crono walked through. Lucca chuckled good naturedly as she watched and allowed the pod's door to shut with a hissing click.

As the crowd's cheering intensified, Lucca smiled again as she reached over to the controls and gripped the lever once more. Crono however, after recovering from his initial annoyance at Marle, narrowed his eyes forward at the pod where the smirking Marle stood. His eyes spotted a shining glint from within the pod and he turned his head curiously at it.

What _was_ that?

It hung around her neck…

Her neck…

Her neck!

Crono's eyes widened and he gasped as he snapped his head over to the oblivious and smiling Lucca. "Luc! Don't throw the switch!" he yelled but it was too late.

Before he even opened his mouth the young woman pulled the lever down and the electricity began to charge again. Lucca turned her purple haired head back 'round to blink unknowingly at her best friend. "What's wrong?" she called above the noise of the machine but Crono ignored her; he ran over to the pod and cringed as he did.

"No!" he exclaimed. The Swordsman bashed the pod with both arms as if to show his protest. Lucca took him aside and frowned hard at him.

"What the _hell_ is your proble-?"

"Marle! She's still wearing her necklace!" the boy yelled over as he turned to watch the purple haired girl's face turn from confusion to horror.

"Oh no." she murmured and snapped her head back over to watch. The crowd, oblivious to the going on yelled along with the machine, eliciting the cringing Lucca to rush over to the machine's lever controls.

She pulled it back down again but it refused to stop or even _stall_ the machine. Crono growled as he pulled up his Katana from the ground, yanking out the blade with both arms he watched for a weak spot in the armour of the pod.

"Wait Crono no! You'll hurt her!" Lucca protested forward as she rose up an arm to stop him.

"You got any better ideas?!" the worried Swordsman exclaimed out as he snapped his head back to meet hers. She cringed and shook her head. "Damn!" he cursed out in a helpless grit toothed scowl. Even in the pod Marle gained a look of worry on her face mixed with confusion as she darted her eyes around her small and cramped position. The blue necklace adorned on her began to glow ominously, sparkles emitting from it.

As if reacting to the pendant she wore, Marle's pod shook terribly and the cord between the pods fizzled and crackled suggestively, eliciting a gasp from Lucca.

"It's gonna blow!" she gasped out.

"No! We can't just leave her!"

"Crono we _have_ to! We'll get caught in the explosion!" Lucca yelled back, eyes narrowed. She spun around and addressed the murmuring and watching crowd. "Everyone please remain calm! We have encountered a technical error in the machine's programming and would respectfully ask you all to-"

Crono snatched the microphone out from his best friend's hands and yelled through it. "_Run! Just run!_"

Almost immediately the gaggle of people all screamed out in fear and turned, scrambling to leave. Sure enough they got out of any possible blast radius thankfully however as the pod trembled, Crono remained on stage, eyes narrowed at the cylinder box.

"Crono come _on!_" Lucca protested further as she gripped the boy's right arm, pulling him away. He cringed helplessly in his hard scowl as he watched before leaning forward to the glass of the pod. He found Marle's tear stricken face staring back at him and he narrowed his eyes back at her before finally speaking. She read his lips however silent to her ears.

"_Don't worry; I'm coming!"_

Before he could follow up on any more words however the grunting Lucca yanked the similarly grunting Crono with her. As if on cue the pod exploded, sending chunks of machine flying everywhere narrowly dodging the pair as they ducked under the stage's flimsy defence.

Crono grunted again as Lucca landed on his chest, bits of flaming machine dropping behind him. His aquamarine eyes widened before he quickly placed the wide eyed Lucca on his side to be able to raise himself from the ground to examine the bombsite. Sure enough Marle was absent in the rubble of wreckage that lay ahead of him however three new instances remained.

The glowing pendant she wore, a group of similarly blue coloured sparkling lights in the air and another cerulean coloured light in the centre of the area. It was almost like… a window.

A portal…?

Something from those kid stories he used to read when he was a child.

"What the…?" the young Swordsman whispered out, eyes narrowing forward disbelievingly at the scene. The group of sparkly blue lights slowly floated over towards the portal and hung in the air around it. Finally they formed into a person.

Marle.

She lied on the ground inside the portal, wavy and dreamlike. Crono watched with widened eyes but his spirit was renewed and his expression brightened. "Marle! Yo!" he called, momentarily forgetting his usual annoyance at her. She didn't seem to hear him or even register his presence however for she simply lied on the ground ahead of him, completely out cold.

Crono grunted as he leapt up to the stage and burst forward in an attempt to grab the young woman however fate was cruel and the portal soon closed up, eating her along with it. As if it sensed the young man's approach, a smiling face seemed to stare back at him from inside the tear and Crono yelled as he leapt for the young Marle, unsuccessful as he hit the ground just shy of it.

* * *

"No!" the Swordsman yelled out, raising his fists and bashing them onto the stage floor's tiles in frustration. "Can't be… just… can't…" Crono muttered out, his face twitching in a show of frustration mixed with sorrow. Lucca walked over to the young man and knelt next to him, a pained look about her face as he placed a consoling hand on the boy's right shoulder. He tensed from her touch and turned his face up to meet hers. She smiled down at him.

"She's not totally helpless Crono. We _can_ follow her,"

"What?!" the fiery haired young man exclaimed, leaping up to his feet. Suddenly full of energy he balled his fists together excitedly as he frowned open mouthed at her. She rose up and grinned back at him. "That pendant…" she began as she turned her eyes over to nod her head at the destruction caused by the small jewel. "It seemed to be the cause of all this. If we can use the remaining pod in the machine for someone to use then…"

"All _right!_ Now we're gettin' somewhere!" the Swordsman exclaimed, his grin returning to fervour and brimming to life once again. "Gimme the pendant! I'm goin' in after her!" the crimson haired boy exclaimed again as he turned to rush for the dropped jewel. As he did, Lucca watched him almost forlornly, a solemn look about her disposition.

"Crono?" she called a curious tone to her voice. The young man frowned hard as he affixed the pendant to his neck, a concentrated look etched on his face.

"Hm?"

"Why are you so passionate about finding Marle?" she asked directly, tilting her head in curiosity as she did so. The question seemed to take Crono off guard for he gasped and stood away from her, eyes widened. However he recovered quickly enough but not without a tiny hue of red to his cheeks and an irritated expression. "You only met her today. I thought you didn't like her?"

"I-I don't,"

"Then what is it?"

The young man lost the burning sensation in his cheeks and raised his eyes to narrow into his best friend's for an answer. "Like her or not Marle's still a friend." he began and turned his hard, serious frown into a positive grin. "And true friends don't let each other down,"

Lucca stared at him, first with a raised purple eyebrow and a sad look about her face that made the boy turn his head in wonder. Finally however she smiled warmly back in response and chuckled. "Sounds like you." she only said in her chuckle before walking over to the main controls of the questionable machine once more and gripping the lever. "You know…" she began, turning her eyes down sadly at the lever. Crono turned his head around to regard the young girl, eyes studying and listening intently. "You might not be able to come back Crono. There's no way of telling where that tear leaded or where _this_ one will; this is unlike anything I've ever seen in my life. If you do this…"

"I don't care."

She blinked and turned her head around to regard the narrow eyed Crono behind her.

"This is the right thing to do. I'll find a way to come back too; don't worry about me." he added in a confident grin. Whenever he did that it reassured the young inventor much to her chagrin; Lucca was a person that valued logic and proven statements than any type of faith.

But Crono was different.

There was something about the boy that Lucca could hold fast in and feel secure with; it was almost like it was his charisma or something stupid like that…

But it was there regardless. And because of it she could honestly believe him no matter how far-fetched it may have been.

She couldn't help but return his grin and nodded. "All right. Get in the pod then! Marle be waitin'!" the young girl grinned and Crono winked.

"I'll be home in time for dinner!" he shot back cockily before leaping into the pod. It gave off an audible hiss; the machinery still working. The door to the pod slammed shut and Lucca gulped as it did.

Felt like something to signify the end.

Strange.

Regardless, even as her fingers shook, Lucca narrowed her eyes and punched in the same co-ordinates she did previously when she set up the machine.

"_Please don't break, please don't break, please don't break…"_

_HSSSSS_

"_Yes!"_

With a relieved grin on her face, Lucca raised her head up to the pod on her right. Crono smirked back behind the glass and issued her a go ahead sign of his usual thumbs up gesture. Lucca grinned back and nodded, turning her head back down to the same level she pulled before that resulted in Marle's disappearance.

She gulped once more and, pulling into her courage's reserves, pulled the lever.

It seemed heavy and unwilling but she managed to force it down with both arms, cringing with both eyes shut as she did. Just as before the pod hissed to life and the narrow eyed Crono inside the machine turned his head around his surroundings, watching and waiting.

Sure enough the pod began to tremble and Lucca frowned hard forward. Gritting her teeth she backed away and watched Crono from a safe distance away, worry gnawing at her heart. When he raised his eyes from his distant place he issued her a final grin before finally the pod exploded as before.

Lucca grunted as she dropped to the floor, hiding underneath the stage itself for cover. As chunks of the metal pod flew ahead of her she waited until the stage was quiet enough for her to leap up and view the wreckage.

Crono – and any portal that may have appeared – was gone already, leaving but a destroyed wreckage of a once proud machine behind. Lucca watched forward, a pained look about her face.

"_Be safe… Crono."_

A/N: Bit of a long wait for 5,000 odd words I know but I been busy with work and loads of other commitments. Hope you enjoyed at any rate though! I certainly did writing it. Any words for constructive criticism is also deeply appreciated!


	3. Out of the Frying Pan & Into The Freezer

**Chapter 3: Out of the Frying Pan and Into the Freezer**

_**Marle Retrieval Arc**_

**Disclaimer: I don't own Chrono Trigger or any other of Square Enix's stuff.**

_**Featured Music**__**: "Sealed Door" – Chrono Trigger OST. **__Chapter Briefing._

_** "Battle 1" – Chrono Trigger OST. **__Scene __**1**__ (Second Half)._

_** "Long For The Wind" –**__**Chrono Trigger OST. **__Scene __**2**__._

_** "Guardia Castle, Courage and Pride" –**__**Chrono Trigger OST. **__Scene __**4**__ (Second Half)._

_Crono's adventure has finally been thrust forward._

_In the midst of his recreational time spent with his best friend Lucca and new friend Marle, a demonstration in Truce's Leene Square goes horribly wrong. Marle, in the middle of a supposedly safe experiment, is sucked into a strange tear of unknown origin. Crono, hot blooded in his determination to find her, sets out after her with little but his Katana and a single bottle of Vulnerary._

_Now alone and bereft of his allies, Crono finds himself a strange in a strange land._

_He steels his very courage for what may lay wait beyond the tear…_

_**Scene 1**_

_Crono groaned, sleep fast approaching him. As he felt his body involuntarily sway and sail through the windless air, he sighed as he looked upwards. Above and all around him swirled a strange, inky blue sky that waved around like dreamy, blue electricity._

_He felt so weak and sleepy._

_He knew above all he should have felt worry or danger of some kind… but he couldn't._

_There was a feeling deep in the air in this rift between dimensions that made him feel safe and secure._

"_What…" he began dreamily, murmuring as he frowned forward and upwards. "What is that…?"_

Crono.

_His eyes moved a fraction in reaction, eyebrows even lifting a tiny bit._

"_Wha-"_

Don't be alarmed. I brought you here.

"_Wh-Who are you…?"_

That isn't important. I need you to do something.

"_Do what?"_

Rescue your blonde companion and quickly. If you do not…

"_Huh…?"_

Please, do not fail us.

_Before Crono could reply to the deep voice that echoed around his surroundings, a bright light flashed in his eyes and forced him awake._

* * *

Crono gasped as he sat up sharply and suddenly, eyes widened and sweating as if from a deep sleep. His eyes darted around the area and he quickly found himself in the middle of a forest, the birds chirping their delight at first morning's light.

"What's- Where-?" the young Swordsman gasped out again as he swivelled his head around, still disorientated.

The memories returned.

And when they did his aquamarine eyes widened again.

"Sword, where's my-" he gasped once more as he swung his head 'round to his lower right.

Sure enough his Katana was attached to his hip via its sheath and belt. A small bag was also attached which housed the Vulnerary he usually carried. The young man breathed a sigh of relief and raised himself up, slowly this time to wipe the sweat from his brow

"_Where am I…?" _he wondered, eyes scanning the forest he now stood in.

For all he knew he could be anywhere.

His eyes narrowed as he turned his head to his left and to the only opening provided to leave the forest. _"Have to find Marle…"_

But before he could even move to carry out his self-request, a stone flew in the air toward him, as if from nowhere. The swift young man deftly evaded the small stone by quickly side stepping to his left. Eyes narrowed he darted his head around the thickets and bushes surrounding him.

He was being watched.

As if reading his very thoughts, the assailants that attacked him leapt out of the bushes and ran for him, screaming a war cry as they did so. He didn't get too good a look at them but what he _did_ see he managed to define in one word.

_Imp._

Two blue little men-like forms of life that rushed at him, drooling at the mouth presumably in waiting for their prey. However Crono wasn't as easily disposed of and yanked out his Katana before leaping into the air backwards to gain some distance on his newfound enemies. He rose up his long sword to block the belligerent monsters' sailing stones expertly with his blade, grinning confidently as he did so. His eyes widened in a light gasp however as he felt a third presence behind him, caught onto via a third Imp's growl.

Luckily he managed to turn his body in mid-air as he sailed, swiftly cutting apart the wide eyed and screeching Imp. He gasped again and stared ahead with widened eyes at the blood and violence he had just caused.

Crono had just taken his first life.

It was on instinct, so easy so…

Only _now_ he felt the brunt of it.

The two other Imps, now enraged by their comrade's defeat and death, rushed further at the wide eyed Crono, their drool falling from their mouths savagely.

"_No time to feel sorry! Kill now think later!"_

With that thought burning in his mind the fiery haired Swordsman yelled as he turned back around in place, swinging his sword horizontally as he did so. Seemingly not of above average intelligence, the two remaining Imps were caught in the counter attack and both screeched in pain like their companion as they were both severed in half.

The similar green blood splashed across Crono's blade and face as well as his clothes, making him wince in disgust. "Eugh…" the young man groaned as he held his arms to his sides, dropping at the elbow as if his chest was contaminated. Almost immediately he heard the sound of running water to the area he spied previously and almost instinctively moved toward it.

This was one of those moments where a piece of his mother's advice came to him.

_When the mind is looking for something it tends to hone in on things like sound, pictures… things like that. You'd be surprised what you'd notice if you'd open your mind!_

Crono was surprised.

Silently thanking his mother for her advice, he smiled as he walked into a clearing, finding a small canyon like area ahead of him. He climbed down to a large pool of rushing water and used it to give his clothes a quick once over. Now no longer covered in the sticky goo that was the Imps' blood, the young man turned his attention to the forest's south entrance and exit.

Time to see where he was.

_**2**_

When he emerged into the evening moonlight, he narrowed his eyes around the area wordlessly and amazed.

Truce as it appeared to him.

A plains dotted land, covered in a fog dream like substance that covered the area like a sheet.

"Truce?!" he exclaimed out, eyes widened and darting around himself.

But why was it night? Was this _really_ Truce or was it a different dimension cloaked to _look_ like Truce?"

The buildings he remembered seeing before however were now gone, replaced by an older kind of brick though some were similar. His eyes honed in on the building he spent his years in.

Home.

Would Mom be there…?

Only one way to find out.

Crono narrowed his eyes and dashed toward it, running through the fog and waving it away from him as he did so. When he finally reached the building, he smiled as he ran through the door, almost forcing it open with a loud groan. "Mom! Mom I'm ho-" he began excitedly, grinning forward. However, even as he spoke mid-sentence, he realised he stood in a very different foyer.

His grin instantly dropped from his face in favour of an embarrassed frown; barmaids around the inside of the building as well as other travellers all turned in their positions and seats to stare at the newcomer. All lively action in the place of business halted to stare at this seemingly strange newcomer. Terribly embarrassed at his social faux pas, Crono coughed awkwardly and shut the door behind him slowly. He rose up the yellow scarf he usually wore so proudly to hide his blush as best he could.

Finally life seemed to return to normal for the bar – much to Crono's relief – but before the young man could turn to his right to pick a seat at the large bar area he was stopped by a member of staff. A young short black haired woman with a pallid look of tiredness about her eyes, clearly untilled by the work she carried out. She wore a general maid's uniform, stained by beer no doubt by the many customers she served and held a free open tray with both hands in front of her lap.

"Welcome to the Happy Truce Tavern and Inn; my name is Kayla and I'll be serving you today,"

"Ahh… hi," Crono could only managed out awkwardly, smiling nervously at the lacklustre maid.

"Will you be spending the night with us sir?" Kayla the maid asked as she stared at him in a robotic tone of voice. Crono blinked once as he stood up straight, taken off guard for a moment.

Should he?

It _was_ getting pretty late and he _did_ have some Gold on him…

He nodded and smiled tiredly back at her.

"Please come right this way sir." the maid responded, no change to her countenance nor even in her tone of voice. As she turned to her right and walked over to reception, Crono followed nervously, his eyes always just a little jumpy. He felt stares behind and around him.

He must have looked a right sight.

It was almost as if these people _knew_ Crono wasn't of their dimension or world.

Or whatever he was in.

As he stood in the reception's small area, manned by a rather large male who merely sat in a chair with an unenthusiastic scowl on his face, reading a book in his lap. He turned and raised his head up to stare at the blinking Crono uninvitingly, eliciting a raised crimson eyebrow in response.

"Please sign in sir." Kayla asked on his right, forcing him out of his staring contest abruptly. The young man blinked again and nervously leaned forward to quickly write his name atop the register before raising his head up. He regretted his decision almost immediately as the man on reception belched strongly in his face, the noise drowned out by the music and men's laughter around the bar. Crono cringed, scrunching his eyes shut from the blast of air before finally reopening his eyes to find the ugly man glaring back at him.

"Ten Gold a night kid. Money up front." the unhygienic receptionist demanded gruffly, eyes narrowed suspiciously at the young Swordsman. Though anger burned in him for the man's treatment, Crono responded wisely, forcing back a grumble as he quickly went into his wallet. Procuring ten pieces of Gold he slapped them on the table, eliciting a growling glare from the similarly angry receptionist. Kayla reached over and picked up a key from the small rack that hung next to the receptionist before handing Crono it, forcing him out of his glaring contest once again.

"Your room is number seven. If you'd like to place your belongings and take off your boots to return downstairs you may however if you prefer you may also continue to the bar with what you have on. Would you like to have a drink with us this evening?"

Crono blinked again but merely nodded wordlessly in an attempt to stifle the evening's events as much as possible. Perhaps grateful for his lack of posturing, the maid frowned on robotically as she turned on her left side to open the path to the bar area.

"Please pick a seat sir. I will be with you momentarily. What drink would you like?"

"Um… a root beer," he simply answered; the only drink of any real calibre he knew.

"Very good sir. Please take a seat." Kayla responded on emotionlessly as before, curtsying perhaps out of duty before turning and heading forward to the busy bar ahead of her. Crono followed but as he walked into the bar itself, he allowed himself to scan the room. Some occupants of the bar turned their heads to raise their eyebrows at him, mostly men glaring at him through glass eyes and scarred faces however not for long; they turned back their heads to their riveting conversations.

Not one to prolong any kind of drama, Crono padded through the area and found a solitary table and seat hidden in amongst the large group of talkative bar goers. Thankful for the one table, he quickly sunk into the seat provided and joined his hands together on the table in front of him, elbows resting on the surface. Now attempting to feel comfortable he resisted the urge to turned his eyes around the bar to see if anyone was staring at him.

Sure enough there was quite a few that gave him a passing glance.

He inwardly cursed himself for calling out to his mother earlier.

Kayla soon returned with a frothing beverage, face as robotic as ever. She placed down the glass on Crono's table and he smiled appreciatively. She stood at his table as he reached for his glass and he was suddenly aware of her lingering presence. He raised a quizzical eyebrow at her and she finally answered.

"One Silver piece," she demanded eyes tired and baggy.

"Oh!" he blinked, embarrassed once again. He quickly went into the small bag on his right to procure the money. Unfortunately however he widened his eyes at the change in his pieces.

They had changed shape and colour.

"What the f…" Crono murmured eyes widened down at the contents in his bag.

Why didn't he notice before?

Was the Gold itself always the same? Did they change when he passed through the portal?

It didn't matter how many questions he asked himself internally; he still felt the boring glare of the maid Kayla above him, making him sweat.

"You _do_ have the money, don't you?" she asked, this time her voice raising to that of a suspicious tone. The only emotion he heard in her voice.

"Um, yes of course," he replied back quickly, smiling nervously as he rose his head back up.

"So what's the problem?"

"I-I just don't know how to…"

The woman's eyebrows lifted and a small smile overtook her lips. Crono raised the bag and dumped the contents of the Gold, Silver and Bronze on the table, eyes narrowed.

"Don't worry; it's very simple." the woman's tone evolved suddenly, taking on a caring and smiling one. He raised a red eyebrow at her as she reached over and grabbed a Silver coin. "See?"

"W-Well what about a tip?"

The woman's eyes flashed and she grinned but it lasted only a millisecond, her sweet tone returning. "Well usually about a few Gold pieces is the going rate…"

"I didn't know you had taste in escorts Crono,"

The pair gasped and snapped their heads upwards. The interrupter stood dressed in a cloak, a female tone to their voice. He recognised the voice and narrowed his eyes.

Who was that?

Kayla seemed to take offence at the newcomer's bold words; she even went as far as to throw the Silver coin in Crono's face, eliciting a bewildered grunt from the young man. As she stormed off angrily he couldn't quite hear the mutterings under her breath when she did so. When Crono leapt up off his seat to call the woman back to hand her payment, the cloaked interrupter again intervened and placed a hand on his shoulder. He turned in a blink.

"Sit down Crono. We don't wanna bring more attention to ourselves," the cloaked figure talked to him, a woman's edge to her voice. Crono narrowed his aquamarine eyes at her in response but did as she requested.

"Who are you? How do you know my name?" he demanded and glared as he did so. The woman took a seat across from him and smiled as she lowered her hood, finally revealing her face. The first thing he noted about her was her shoulder length purple hair and the large glasses on her face.

"Lucca!" he exclaimed, a happy grin on his face as he leaned forward in his chair. However as he did so, he immediately regretted his actions for the bar goers turned in their own chairs for the umpteenth time to stare at the proceedings, murmurings here and there. Lucca raised her rough and worn index finger to her mouth in a disapproving and miffed frown to indicate requested silence from him. Though he blushed, Crono nodded, aware of the bar's staring. As they returned to their own conversations however Lucca smiled and opened her mouth to speak.

"Sorry I took so long!" she whispered, smiling on through as she did so. Crono couldn't help but grin. As a stranger in this world he felt out of sync and even almost like he were out of his own body. But now with some kind of familiar face around him his confidence and mood shot up tenfold. "Making another one of those pods in the time frame I had really took it outta me…"

"It's cool, don't worry about it." the Swordsman shot back in his grin. "But man even at that you were _really_ fast! I had barely enough time to do what I've done _now_ let alone go look for Marle yet,"

"So you haven't found her yet…" Lucca replied in a soft frown. Crono's grin fell off his face and he nodded, a sombre frown dotting his expression. "I was hoping in some weird way you'd find her quick and we could…" she began vainly, turning her own eyes downward.

"Don't worry; we'll find her!" Crono whispered as he leant forward in his chair and on the table, grinning once again as he raised up his left conjoined fingered fist to illustrate his confidence in his point. "I _know_ we will!"

"Sure wish I had _your_ confidence," Lucca replied in a quiet chuckle, smiling as she rose her eyes up from her sombre gaze.

"More importantly… do you know where we even are? I mean… I know this is _Truce_ and all but…" Crono began as he turned his eyes around the area worriedly.

"Yeah. It _is_ Truce." Lucca answered once as she frowned back forward. She raised a single finger in the air as she usually did when being scientific in her answers or when carried away with her calculations. "But the question isn't rather _where_ we are as _when,_"

Crono blinked. "Huh?" he asked blankly.

Lucca sighed. "You'd be _lost_ if it weren't for me you know." she replied in a lightly miffed frown. Crono chuckled quietly in a grin and Lucca couldn't help but grin back; his humour contagious. "We've actually gone back in time Crono. This isn't the year 1000 anymore,"

"It isn't?"

The purple haired genius shook her head. "No. The year here is _600 _A.D. Truce is in the middle of a war with the Fiendlord from the tales in story books," she replied back, a little too quickly. Crono remained gobsmacked in his seat.

"Ya mean… we're four _hundred_ years into the past?"

Lucca nodded robotically. "That's correct."

Crono sat in his seat, eyes widened and eyebrows raised, unable to believe it.

"I know it's difficult to swallow." Lucca added as she began to explain her findings. "But I've done quite a bit of research Crono; everyone I've talked to are talking about the current war, mentioning the Fiendlord and how things were better before the current year… everything I've seen here matches the description of the books I've read." the young woman claimed before rolling her eyes. "Well, most of it," she amended.

"That's just… _unreal._" Crono murmured, his green-like eyes rolling downward to stare down at the table below him in disbelief. "I'm not even supposed to be _born_ yet but… but here I am! It's- It's too unreal!" he hissed out quietly, gripping his fingers together into passionate fists.

"You have to come to terms with it Crono. We can't afford any mistakes here." Lucca whispered as she leant over the table secretively. "Whatever we do here may change the course of the future,"

"Ya mean like… we might even not be _born_ anymore?" he asked hauntingly, eyes widened in horror.

Lucca nodded gravely. "It's a definite possibility,"

"Damn!" he hissed out, eyes narrowed down at the table in frustration. "We can't…"

"All the more reason to find Marle!" Lucca hissed on as she frowned hard at the boy. "The faster we find her and get out of here the better,"

Crono raised his flame haired head and frowned back. "Yeah…" he agreed quietly, nodding once more. "Yeah…"

"All right." Lucca sighed in relief as she pulled herself back in her seat. "We're already here and you've already checked in so we may as well stay here for the night,"

"Yeah. I think I'm in room seven,"

"Seven huh…" Lucca murmured before nodding. "All right I'll see if I can switch my room to seven too; we'll just pretend we're together," she added, cracking a grin to Crono's face.

"Shouldn't be too hard but then they might not believe us…"

Lucca swivelled her blue eyes over to the grinning boy's and she raised a suspicious purple eyebrow upwards, suspecting foul play on his behalf. "And why is that?"

"Well…" Crono began in a low chuckle, folding his arms as he smirked toothily at her. His eyes shut as he responded in a show of overconfidence. "I'm _clearly_ out of your league,"

Lucca stared, deadpanned at his outlandish claim. "Clearly." she agreed sarcastically, eyebrows dropping down to suit her miffed countenance. Crono grinned back cluelessly. "We don't have time for your childish antics; we should head to bed as quickly as we can so we're rested up for the morning,"

Crono grinned on, his youthful arrogance returning. "Oh yeah; gotta be ready for that morning se-"

"_I SAID SHUT UP!_"

* * *

After _(finally)_ asserting themselves into room seven of the Happy Truce Tavern and Inn, Lucca and Crono strategised on their next steps to saving the missing Marle. Lucca quickly theorised and came to the conclusion that their best step to try anything would be to try searching the Castle Guardia for answers via reporting Marle's disappearance to the missing persons branch.

If it was even established as far back as 600 A.D.

Out of other options however and any other leads, the pair nodded in agreement and went to bed which then brought up the inevitable argument of who slept in the one provided bed and who used the quilts to sleep on the floor. Naturally however Lucca won when the pair agreed to play Rock, Paper Scissors and she threw a pillow in his face when he suggested they sleep together.

It didn't stop him from laughing from his humoured suggestion however.

Finally however the pair turned in and as Crono relegated to the floor with his two large quilts, he lied in an embarrassed frown, eyes moving downwards in his side on position, his back facing Lucca behind him. After the light had went out the conversation seemed to have died.

She was his best friend but he wasn't a big fan of her seeing him naked.

So he went to bed with his underwear still on; simple boxers that fit around his hips snugly.

He wasn't one hundred percent sure but he swore he could feel the stare of Lucca on him and he shifted uncomfortably under her supposed gaze.

Sometimes he teased that she liked him – to be fair he was _very _handsome and most girls found him charming – but at times when he saw her blush at whatever silly thing he'd suggest he'd raise an eyebrow internally and wish he hadn't said it.

Maybe he was wrong in assuming but…

Who knows?

"Crono?"

His eyebrows lifted again.

"Are you awake?" she called again quietly in the darkness.

"Yeah… I'm awake," he replied, his voice also hushed. Her body audibly shifted under the quilt covers as if she were turning to face him. "What's up?"

"I was… just wondering." she began and the sound of a pillow being gripped softly was heard. Crono narrowed his eyes tensely. "Do you… really _not_ like Marle?"

His eyes lowered and he frowned hard at the quilt covering his near bare body. "Well… she's… pretty but…"

"But what?"

Crono waited for a moment as he considered Marle as a person, or of what little he knew about her. "I'm not a big fan of her uppity attitude," he added on and raised his eyes back up.

"Oh…"

"Why?"

"No reason,"

"Mm…" Crono murmured out, lowering his eyes once more uncertainly.

Why would she ask that?

Unless…

He shook his head vehemently.

Couldn't be, it just _isn't_.

It'd be too weird.

"Crono?"

"Yeah?"

"Night,"

"Mm… yeah. Night Luc."

He heard her move again, presumably her back to him now. His eyes remained hard as he felt the heavy atmosphere crush down on him. He knew it was there and he had a good feeling she knew it was there.

That feeling when two people know there's something in the air they want to talk about but can't bring themselves to.

He sighed through his nose and attempted to close his eyes and fall asleep.

It was at least an hour before he managed to succeed.

_**3**_

The sun rose over the hills of Truce and bathed it in the warm glow of morning dawn, allowing the animals and denizens of the land to awake and begin their day. Inside the Happy Truce Tavern and Inn, Crono also stirred awake however lazily and unwillingly. The sun glared across his eyes and as he lay on the ground spread out with the quilt covers kicked away in a similarly lazy expression, he groaned and cringed as the rays of the morning light struck his eyes mercilessly.

"All right I'm up, I'm up…" the young Swordsman moaned quietly and mumbling as he raised himself up.

He scratched the back of his head in a tired blink of his eyes before reaching up to stretch and giving vent to a loud yawn. As he finished, the young man lowered back his head and frowned tiredly forward, scratching at his bare side before the events of the previous night and day came flooding back.

As they did, his eyes slowly widened and he gasped snapping his head around to his left.

"Luc! Wake up! We gotta-" he began excitedly but stopped mid-speech as he realised her bed was empty and neatly remade again, fit for use once more.

She woke up already…

The young man leapt up and rushed for his clothes.

Gotta move!

* * *

The boisterous young man quickly left his room and ran on down the stairs to the ground floor of the building he stayed in, gasping in fatigue as he did so. He ran on so quickly that he managed to pass the wide eyed Kayla, who had been waiting to greet him as part of her job responsibility.

"Thanks!" he threw over his shoulder at her, in a rush for the door. He didn't see her roll her eyes at him and turn away back to cleaning the tables.

The flame haired Swordsman let the door slam shut on his way out and darted his head around in search for his companion. "Lucca? Luc!" he called out, eyes narrowed. When he turned his head to his front he gasped as he saw a figure in the distance. Even in the morning, the fog from the night before still lingered in the air but even through it he knew who that was.

Lucca!

He grinned and ran toward it and sure enough, as the figure became clearer and clearer, there she stood dressed in a brown cloak over her usual outfit. She even wore the same helmet over her purple hair as she always did, making the watching Crono grin.

"Oh, morning Crono." the young woman smiled in greeting. "I didn't think you'd be up 'till later, I didn't want to wake you,"

"You should have!" the young man shot back as he folded his arms in mock scolding. "After all responsibility is much more important than anything else!" he waggled his finger at her and she couldn't help but giggle, eliciting a light grin from him.

"All right, you done?" she asked and quirked an eyebrow upwards as she did so. Crono grinned and nodded. "Let's go then; time's-a wastin',"

"Yeah!" he exclaimed excitedly, pumping a fist in his exuberance as he did so.

"Okay then, let's go! To the Guardia Forest!"

_**4**_

When Lucca and Crono trudged on through the Guardia Forest, as Lucca had so pointedly mentioned before, they found almost nothing out of place to their own time in 1000 A.D. Crono even went so far as to check _leaves_ and blades of grass down to the smallest inch before tossing them over his shoulder in frustration.

"You shouldn't be so fixated on everything Crono; it won't help." Lucca threw over her own shoulder as she frowned at him in light frustration. "So things haven't changed much in the past four hundred years; so what? Well, except the whole Fiendlord War thing…"

"What _was_ that all about anyway?" Crono grunted as he rose his head and body up from a quick examination on the ground, catching up with his companion. "I never did listen in class,"

Lucca rolled her eyes as she walked. "Seems about right,"

Crono narrowed his eyes at her. "Hey!" he cried out indignantly.

She grinned but responded regardless. "Keep your pants on." she chuckled before regaining a small smile on her face in reminiscence to the humour before but she also put on a serious tone to her voice. "Four hundred years ago there was a war between the humans of Truce and the Mystics of the Fiendlord. Their goal was to wipe us from Truce and eventually the planet entirely; it was an invasion,"

"Woah." Crono whispered eyes widened as he listened. "S-So… who won?" he asked, his feet trudging through the leaves and grass noisily. She grinned next to him.

"Well us of course. Why do you think we had the Guardia Millennial Fair? It was to celebrate our victory!" she claimed and Crono nodded in a similar grin as he seemingly remembered. She put a serious frown to her features however as she swivelled back her head and narrowed her eyes in thought. "Only thing is… I'm worried our presence here will have a negative impact on that war's outcome,"

"Ahh come on Luc!" Crono grinned back safely as he rose up his arms to rest on the back of his head care freely. "You worry too much!"

Lucca folded her arms at him defiantly. "You ever heard of the Time Space Continuum?"

Crono's well-worn grin faded and he frowned back. "Uhh… is that like a story or somethin'?"

Lucca rolled her eyes in frustration. "It's a life concept Crono." she answered in a lightly humoured chuckle. "If we travel back in time we can change the events of the past to shape the future,"

"Wow!" the flame haired Swordsman grinned again in exuberance. "That's _awesome!_"

"Not always." the purple haired young woman shot back as she rose a knowing index finger into the air. It stopped the young man in his tracks and made him blink wonderingly. "Whatever we change positively may also have a negatively adverse impact on events in other ways."

Crono stared at her, deadpanned.

She rolled her eyes. "Fine. In _laymen's_ terms." she conceded before continuing. "Whatever we change for the good may also change other things for the bad,"

"Ohh…" the young man responded in a low frown as he lowered his head thoughtfully.

"Yep! So we gotta be extra careful!" Lucca smiled knowledgeably. "Never know when we might alter the course of history!" the young genius claimed in her light but sweet enough smile. Crono stared for a second or two but smiled anyway and nodded in agreement.

"Let's go get Marle!" he shot back and she grinned in response before turning her head up as a spire like castle dominating the skyline came into view.

Guardia Castle.

"Here we are…" Lucca began in a narrow eyed murmur. She quickly turned and addressed Crono. "I'll do the talking! Shape yourself up and don't talk! All right?"

The young man grinned obliviously and gave the woman a salute as he did so. "You got it Boss!"

Lucca grinned at his play nickname for her before nodding. "Here goes!"

* * *

It took the Guardia soldiers little time at all to realise Lucca and Crono were approaching the Castle and, as they did, they were immediately on the defensive.

Such were the times of war.

Crono cringed as a Steel Lance was thrust into his face threateningly.

"Give me _one_ good reason why I shouldn't rend this lying bastard asunder," the first foot Soldier inside the castle walls growled forward as he glowered at the nervously smiling Crono. His arms were raised up in defence as if warding off a fire breathing dragon.

"I assure you men we are _not_ spies for the Fiendlord." Lucca shot back, annoyed. Her hands lay on her hips as she leaned forward to glare at the pair. "Now drop your lances before you _really_ get into trouble,"

The two men actually looked apprehensive for a few moments, even exchanging unsure glances.

"What's going on? What's all this racket?"

The two soldiers gasped as they about turned, eyes widened. A person glided down the steps leading to the oh-so-obvious throne room above them, accompanied by an old and robed man. The accompanied figure was a young woman dressed lavishly in a long and fashionable dress, suit only for royalty. When Crono and Lucca raised their head to see their saviour they both stopped from gasping aloud, their eyes widening with their interrogators.

A pouting, childish expression was set adorned on the figure's face, a young blonde woman with her hair put up fashionably under a head dress. It was a little tough to tell with her hair mostly invisible through the head dress but it was her and no mistake.

"_Marle?!"_ the Swordsman gasped in his own mind as he watched, incredulous written all over his facial expression. He turned momentarily to find Lucca in a similar state.

Clearly she didn't calculate _this_.

"I was doing something _very important_ until I started hearing _you two_ whine on about intruders to my castle!" the young woman moaned, a frown on her features.

"W-We're sorry Your Highness; please understand that these two intruders-"

"I don't _care!_" the young woman of seeming royalty whined back in response, forcing the poker faced soldier to shut his mouth. "I'm a _Princess! _Princesses don't put up with your kind's squabble!"

Crono rolled his eyes and leaned next to his best friend. "This is _definitely_ Marle." he muttered and the young genius inventor couldn't help but snort noisily in held back laughter, eliciting a small grin from the usually obnoxious youth. The self-proclaimed Princess snapped her head over to the pair like she would regard a colony of insects. Lucca forced herself to stop from laughing and cleared her throat, standing to attention, eyes faced forward and ever serious.

Crono frowned melodramatically and even stood to attention like the Guardian soldiers, giving the woman a mock salute as his eyes rolled upwards in a goofy display. Lucca saw him at the corner of her eye and her lower lip began to quiver, threatening to break apart in a show of laughter. The soldiers watched and were of a similar disposition before suddenly flinching in a simultaneous cringe as they heard their seeming Princess behind them stamp her foot noisily and in an obvious display of indignation.

"How _dare_ you mock me in such a way! It is _beneath_ me!" the young blonde shot over angrily, her arms balling up close to her sides in her growing annoyance. Crono set a simple frown on his face as he listened. "You will _both_ follow me!" the woman demanded as she raised her head up at the pair haughtily, eyes narrowed sharply.

She quickly turned around in a 180 turn immediately, as if expecting the two to comply wordlessly. Crono exchanged an amused raised eyebrow with his best friend before he shrugged and followed regardless. However when the hard frowning soldiers shot up their Steel Lances to bar him from walking any further he blinked forward and rolled his eyes. Marle turned her head around and barked at the pair.

"Well what are you both _waiting_ for? Follow me!"

Crono went to open his mouth and shoot back a particularly scarring insult but as usual Lucca came to the rescue and, instead, cleared her throat noisily to attract attention. The young Princess sighed frustrated and turned before blinking.

"Let them _pass_ you _ingrates!_" the young girl screeched out, her small gloved fists balling up as she did so. The two soldiers cringed painfully as her voice reached their ears and they turned to face their superior.

"B-But Your Highness what if they-"

"No excuses! Do what I say or my father will put you to death!" the blonde exclaimed forward, her voice a little quieter though not by much. A threatening tone entered her voice and mixed with a bratty one she managed to make the pair of warriors fold their proverbial cards almost instantly. They stood to attention with simple frowns adorned on their faces.

"Please refrain from visiting anywhere that you are not permitted to." one of the men toned out in his forward frown, directing his statement to the wide eyed Lucca and Crono.

Marle was bratty but this was something else.

Regardless however the pair chose not to pursue the strangeness of the matter and followed the huffing Marle, frowns etched on their own facial expressions. Crono allowed his arms to rise up and rest behind his head in his usual care free like manner, a disapproving Lucca next to him shaking her head. When he turned to blink at her wonderingly she simply folded her arms and rolled her eyes, moving her head away from his.

He could only blink at her before shrugging the matter off wordlessly.

As they moved up the stairs, the trio soon found themselves in a spacious throne room containing four other people. The seeming King himself seated upon his own throne on his left, his long bearded advisor on his left just below the throne, a figure encased in ebony armour as black as night knelt in front of the King and two bodyguards on either side of both thrones.

As he beheld the sight of the royal throne room before him Crono finally felt like he was in the presence of true royalty. Lucca made no surprised sounds next to him or even changed her frowning facial expression.

She must have been expecting this.

"What is this rabble?" the King grumbled as he rose his head up from his matter with the knight knelt below him. His eyes squinted forward to behold the sight of the zig zag frown faced Crono and Lucca standing behind the smiling Queen. "I am busy with another matter at the moment; leave us Leene," he moaned as he waved the group off irritated.

"These good people have _waited_ good King!" Marle shot back heatedly and though Crono rolled his eyes at expectance of such a reaction, Lucca narrowed her own at the mention of the woman's seeming name before her. "They will kindly wait until you are finished with Sir Black Knight!"

The King sighed into his right palm before shaking his head free of it. "Fine. Grant me some moments of peace before this headache then." the man grumbled back before returning attention the knelt knight below him. Marle smirked before turning and issuing a knowing wink at the pair. Crono couldn't help but grin in response and Lucca smiled lightly.

While Crono waited for the two to finish their conversation, he quickly found the bearded man on his left was eyeballing him here and there at regular intervals. The young Swordsman narrowed his own eyes at the man for a second or two before turning his eyes back. His mind constantly flitted back to the suspicious man on his left however, ever wondering.

Who was _he_ to stare at him like that?

Finally the King had finished his small speech with the knight in front of him and the man below stood up to raise his right hand, resting on his armoured chest patriotically. "Now go; make Truce proud," the King intoned forward. The Black Knight nodded forward as he rose himself up after permission was granted.

"Yes, Your Highness." the man's deep and low voice rumbled from inside the visor of his armour. He bowed respectfully before turning and heading for the main doors, operated by a pair of low level soldiers. Crono and Lucca turned their eyes to regard the slow walking knight. The unnamed Black Knight turned his own head over to also regard the watching pair and when Crono's eyes narrowed he felt the man tense up.

Strange.

Almost as if he knew this man.

As the man left with his armour clinking in every step he took and the doors were shutting behind him left a deep resonance through the chamber. The King turned his tired eyes over to the pair ahead of him and frowned, irritated once more.

"And you two are?"

Crono opened his mouth to speak but Marle did it for him. "The little runt is called Crono dear King," she stated simply and the young Swordsman turned in an irritated twitch of his frown.

'Runt'?

"And the lady is called Lucca,"

"Hrm." the King intoned out in a frown as he squinted in the purple haired young woman's direction. Lucca turned her eyes away from the older man in light embarrassment, waiting for him to speak. "Really?" he asked, as if doubting her authenticity as a woman.

Lucca's embarrassed frown was immediately lost to a twitching scowl, her eyes darting over to meet the man's. Crono gained a soundless grin on his face, twitching again but this time in held back hilarity. Marle giggled as she listened and nodded. "Yes my King." she replied before walking over and seating herself next to the man. The King sighed once and beckoned the pair to approach him.

Though previously annoyed, Lucca obeyed with a frowning Crono next to her. When Lucca lowered herself to one knee she forced the blinking Swordsman down with her, knowing of his lack of knowledge in manners and social etiquette. "Now." the man seated upon his throne sighed out as he regarded the pair below him. "Of what matter of importance do you approach me with?" he asked out and, for once, Crono found himself at a loss for words. When Lucca saw him fumble with his silent words, she stepped in.

"We're looking for a missing person milord." the young inventor replied back as politely as she knew how, eyes soft in a frown. "A young woman around my age with long blonde hair,"

The King's own frown twitched as he listened. He turned in his seat to eyeball his giggling wife next to him. "You speak of this stranger as if she is my very wife,"

Lucca realised the similarities between the mentioned pair and she laughed nervously as she did so, attempting to save the situation. "R-Really? I had only just noticed Your Majesty! Truly!" the young woman exclaimed out in a nervous laugh. The King only sat in his deadpanned frown, waiting and watching. "Oh! Anyway yes ah… have there been any sightings or…?" she tried again and by the look on the man's face, Lucca's hopes quickly began to dash.

"Yes there has actually!"

The group all turned their heads to find the smiling Marle staring back at Lucca, clearly the author of the interruption. "I-I'm sorry Your Highness?"

"I have the information stored in a secret compartment above us! If my beloved would be so kind as to let us pursue this information?" Marle tried as she grinned and turned. The King sighed and pinched the skin between his eyes in quiet frustration.

"Anything for a quiet life." he admitted and waved off the trio. Marle gave a happy yip as she leapt from her throne childishly and turned to run for the stairs behind her. Crono and Lucca watched, dumbstruck, as the blonde Princess ran for the steps. She turned in her run and grinned at the pair before gesturing them to follow her.

Lucca and Crono exchanged a shrug before standing and following their friend up the stone staircase provided for them. Even as they left they were eyeballed by not just the soldiers on either side of the thrones but the Chancellor at the King's side glared at them suspiciously. Crono felt his eyes bore into him from the back of his head and forced himself not to turn and make a face.

So tempting!

Finally however to grasp the young man's usually fluctuating attention, Crono, Lucca and Marle finally found themselves up on the highest floor this side of the castle would allow them. They walked through, led by the high and mighty queen of Truce. She turned her nose up haughtily at the gasping and wide eyed maids that passed and bowed for her respectfully. Crono exchanged a grinning nudge of his elbow and Lucca couldn't help but smile lightly in response.

"Get out! Get out!" Marle exclaimed out rattily as she pounded her small feet inside the bedroom of the young woman. Sure enough the flustered maids muttered out their apologies before gathering up their things and rushing for the door.

Lucca opened her mouth to speak to the blonde ahead of her but a frowning Crono shook his head to show his displeasure at the young inventor's idea, a hand on his hip as he did so. When the maids had finally left the room, Marle turned to address the pair and smirked as she did twirling in place as the doors shut behind the servants.

"Like what you see?" she tried to tease in a light giggle. Lucca frowned in a simple, confused blink whereas the watching Crono rolled his eyes, a hand still resting on his hip.

"Yeah, sure; listen." the Swordsman began in rude interruption, eyes frowning like his expression. "Where have you _been?_ What are you doing?" he demanded out as he narrowed his eyes forward. The listening Marle initially gave a wondering blink before she put a pout on her face and folded her gloved arms childishly. "You've had us worried to _death_. We gotta go back!"

"_No!_" the hot tempered young girl shot back angrily, balling her fists together as she stood in defiance. "I will _not_ relinquish my freedom! I am a _person!_" the blonde exclaimed out, making the pair in front of her flinch visibly for obvious fear of being heard. "You will _understand_ that!"

"Okay, okay jeez!" Crono replied, wide eyed and grit toothed as he waved at the air in a defensive gesture. "We're not gonna _force_ ya or anythin' I mean come on…" the Swordsman chuckled out as he raised his hand to rest behind his flame haired head. The young woman watched him in a folded armed scowl. "We just gotta go back to our _own_ time; it's where we belong!" the young man smiled out in his usual happy go lucky expression before he leant his body to his left side, extending a hand forth. "Come with us; your parents have gotta be worryin' about you,"

She blushed visibly but lowered her head before he could catch it, coughing out awkwardly before re-raising her head and glaring at him childishly. She finally frowned out more softly and replied. "B-But… here I'm a queen and everyone listens to me! Why should I leave this time and go back to my own when I'm happier here?"

This time it was Lucca's turn to speak up and she frowned sympathetically back at the young woman. "We understand that but it's just not right. If you stay here Marle then you risk damage to the time space continuum." she began and Marle blinked initially at her. Even Crono at her side raised a red eyebrow and Lucca rolled her eyes in a frustrated sigh. "If you change events in the past you change events in the future,"

"Isn't that a good thing?" Crono asked as he raised his eyebrow curiously.

"Not when it results in Marle not being _born_ you idiot!" the purple haired inventor shot back as she narrowed her eyes at the young man next to her. He blinked and cringed lightly as he turned his head away from her.

"What?" Marle murmured out in visible disbelief as she listened to the pair. Lucca snapped her head back to the blonde ahead of her in surprise, taken off guard. She chuckled nervously and responded.

"It's just a stupid worry… just come back to the present with us and everything'll be okay!" the purple haired young woman shot back. Marle didn't look convinced however; she stared at the pair ahead of her as if they were her enemies and even took a wary step back. Lucca followed her and raised a hand up to calm the young woman but it didn't seem to help.

"Get away from me!" the blonde shot back, her eyes darting between the blinking Crono and the cringing Lucca. "This is wrong… you shouldn't…" she murmured out suspiciously as she backed away worryingly. However even as she did, the young blonde gasped as she bent forward, gripping at her chest as if afflicted by some kind of illness.

"Marle!" Crono exclaimed his eyes widened as he stepped forward. Marle saw him however and snapped up her head glaring at him and silently warning him. He stopped but reluctantly and growled lightly as he did so. "This is stupid! What's wrong, what's happening?" he tried, green eyes narrowed.

"Stay away…" she gasped out, glaring at them suspiciously. The pair of friends could only adhere to her strange demand, exchanging a worried shrug each in constant wonder. "You can't… t-touch me…"

Even as she spoke, the air grew tense and Crono felt the same feeling he did when going through the portal previously. It made the hairs on the back of his neck tense up and he sensed Lucca feel the same for she spoke up.

"Marle you have to listen to me!" Lucca exclaimed as she took a daring step forward. The young blonde flinched in response, her scowling expression twitching as an aura began to build at her feet. "Regain control of whatever's against you right now! It's that thing that talked to you in the portal isn't it?" the young woman exclaimed above the growing din the aura was causing. Marle glared over at the inventor with a different look in her eyes.

"You don't know." the young woman shot back, a different tone of voice taking over her. Instead of her usual high, chirpy and defiant tone this one was much lower. Sounding more like a male's and even, to a point, demonic. "You'll _never_ know,"

"What are you talking about?!" Crono called over the roaring din, his arms raised to block the unnatural wind that Marle cooked up, his face scrunched in a concentrating and grit toothed scowl. "You're not making any sense!"

Marle didn't answer except for all the abundant noise and ruckus that she had managed to create. As if to reply however she began to seemingly lift herself upwards, eyes changed as she glared down at the pair. Her hair and dress ruffled constantly in the updraft of unnatural wind and the young woman raised her hands up to both her sides in a gesture of power. Crono and Lucca could only watch as the air around her shimmered and they were given sight to another phenomenon.

Crono's wide green eyes reflected the similarly wide pool of blue light that Marle seemingly conjured from thin air and whatever power she was currently producing. Inside the pool Crono found something familiar; the same feeling he had when he first travelled through from his own time in 1000 A.D.

The young man instinctively went down for his Katana blade and narrowed his eyes up at the glaring Marle above him.

Whatever that was in front of him was not Marle.

Something in those eyes…

Something suggested it just looked like her.

Soon however the flame haired youth found himself pulled towards the blue light that Marle had pulled open and he grunted in a hard edged scowl as he was pulled slowly across the ground, the bedroom's contents following him. Lucca yelled as she was pulled off her feet, twirling and spinning through the air. Luckily Crono managed to reach out with his right arm to catch her own. The pair gasped almost simultaneously as they stared into each other's eyes.

Crono couldn't help but grin back in spite of the dire situation they were in. Across Lucca's previously worried frown a small secure smile breached her expression. Unfortunately for the pair however, Crono's grip on his best friend was not as resolute as his will and the two were plunged forward into the magnet like portal.

Crono and Lucca both yelled as they spun through the air and their arms simultaneously pushed forward through the air to grasp at something before their bodies were swallowed whole by the portal of blue light.

* * *

_A/N: A different route as you can see! This is the start of a branch off to my own take on the story that I think you'll like._

_Hope you enjoyed!_


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